Chapter 21

108. Ibi cum Boccho Numida quidam, Aspar nomine, multum et familiariter agebat, praemissus ab Jugurtha, postquam Sullam accitum audierat, orator[608] et subdole speculatum Bocchi consilia; praeterea Dabar, Massugradae filius, ex gente Masinissae, ceterum materno genere impar (nam pater ejus ex concubina ortus erat), Mauro ob ingenii multa bona carus acceptusque. Quem Bocchus fidum esse Romanis multis ante tempestatibus expertus illico ad Sullam nuntiatum mittit paratum sese facere, quae populus Romanus vellet; colloquio diem, locum, tempus ipse delegeret; consulta sese omnia cum illo integra habere;[609] neu Jugurthae legatum pertimesceret, quo res communis licentius gereretur;[610] nam ab insidiis ejus aliter caveri[611] nequivisse. Sed ego comperior Bocchum magis Punica fide[612] quam ob ea, quae praedicabat, simul Romanos et Numidam spe pacis attinuisse multumque cum animo suo volvere solitum, Jugurtham Romanis an illi Sullam traderet; libidinem[613] adversum nos, metum pro nobis suasisse.

[608] 'As ambassador with a public commission,' though at the same time he privately acted the part of a spy. [609] 'That he kept firmly and unalterably everything which had been previously determined upon with Sulla.' [610] 'In order that the common business might be conducted the more carelessly.' The laying aside of fear in the presence of Jugurtha's ambassador was to induce Sulla to carry on the negotiations for peace more openly, frankly, and incautiously, since, under the influence of fear, he would have been cautious and mistrustful. _Non pertimescere_ are joined together as one idea, somewhat in the sense of _contemnere_, 'he should disregard' the ambassador, and accordingly act with Bocchus more confidentially. [611] The infinitive of the impersonal passive _cavetur ab insidiis_, 'precaution is taken against snares.' [612] _Punica fides_ is proverbially the same as _mala fides_, the Carthaginians being generally regarded by the Romans as perfidious double-dealers. _Attinere_ is the same as _morari_, 'to detain.' [613] 'His inclination.'

109. Igitur Sulla respondit, pauca coram Aspare locuturum, cetera occulte aut nullo aut quam paucissimis praesentibus; simul edocet, quae sibi responderentur. Postquam sicuti voluerat congressi, dicit se missum a consule venisse quaesitum ab eo, pacem an bellum agitaturus foret. Tum rex, uti praeceptum fuerat, post diem decimum redire jubet, ac nihil etiamnunc[614] decrevisse, sed illo die responsurum. Dein ambo in sua castra digressi. Sed ubi plerumque noctis processit, Sulla a Boccho occulte accersitur; ab utroque tantummodo fidi interpretes adhibentur, praeterea Dabar internuntius, sanctus vir et ex sententia ambobus.[615] Ac statim sic rex incipit:

[614] 'And _says_ (which must be taken from the preceding _jubet_) that as yet he had determined upon nothing.' As past time is here spoken of, it should properly not be _etiamnunc_, but _etiamtunc_; and it is doubtful as to whether the reading of some manuscripts _tum etiam_ ought not to be received into the text. If _etiamnunc_ is correct, we must explain it by supposing that the historian abandons the character of a narrator of past events, and transfers himself to the present. [615] 'A conscientious (trustworthy) man, and acceptable to both' (Sulla and Bocchus).

110. 'Nunquam ego ratus sum fore, uti rex maximus in hac terra et omnium, quos novi, privato homini[616] gratiam deberem. Et mehercule, Sulla, ante te cognitum multis orantibus, aliis ultro egomet opem tuli, nullius indigui.[617] Id imminutum, quod ceteri dolere solent, ego laetor; fuerit mihi eguisse[618] aliquando amicitiae tuae, qua apud animum meum nihil carius habeo. Id adeo experiri licet:[619] arma, viros, pecuniam, postremo quidquid animo libet, sume, utere; et quoad vives, nunquam tibi redditam gratiam putaveris; semper apud me integra[620] erit; denique nihil me sciente frustra voles. Nam, ut ego aestimo, regem armis quam munificentia vinci minus flagitiosum est.[621] Ceterum de re publica vestra, cujus curator huc missus es, paucis accipe. Bellum ego populo Romano neque feci neque factum umquam volui:[622] fines meos adversum armatos armis tutatus sum. Id omitto, quando vobis ita placet; gerite quod vultis cum Jugurtha bellum. Ego flumen Mulucham, quod inter me et Micipsam fuit, non egrediar neque id intrare Jugurtham sinam. Praeterea si quid meque vobisque dignum petiveris, haud repulsus abibis.[623]

[616] The king calls the quaestor Sulla a private person, being unwilling, as a king, to allow any one a public character who is not, like himself, a king. But in the opinion of the Romans, the quaestor Sulla was by no means a private person. [617] 'I have assisted many at their request, and others of my own accord (unasked), while I myself was in need of no man's assistance.' [618] _Fuerit mihi eguisse_, the concessive mood: 'granting that it was the case that I needed,' might also have been expressed simly by _eguerim_. [619] 'This you may try at once.' For this meaning of _adeo_, whereby that which precedes is confirmed by the result, see Zumpt, S 281. [620] 'Unimpaired,' 'in the same condition.' [621] We should express the same idea rather thus: _regem munificentia vinci flagitiosius est, quam armis_. [622] About _factum volui_, see Zumpt, S 611. [623] 'Your wish will not be refused by me.' Bocchus no doubt here alludes to the surrender of Jugurtha, but he is yet doubtful as to whether it is worthy of himself.

111. Ad ea Sulla pro se breviter et modice, de pace et de communibus rebus multis disseruit. Denique regi patefecit, 'quod polliceatur, senatum et populum Romanum, quoniam amplius armis valuissent, non in gratiam habituros;[624] faciundum aliquid, quod illorum magis quam sua rettulisse videretur; id adeo in promptu esse, quoniam Jugurthae copiam haberet; quem si Romanis tradidisset, fore, ut illi plurimum deberetur; amicitiam, foedus, Numidiae partem, quam nunc peteret, tunc ultro adventuram.'[625] Rex primo negitare;[626] affinitatem, cognationem, praeterea foedus intervenisse; ad hoc metuere, ne fluxa fide usus popularium animos averteret, quis et Jugurtha carus et Romani invisi erant. Denique saepius fatigatus lenitur et ex voluntate Sullae omnia se facturum promittit. Ceterum ad simulandam pacem, cujus Numida defessus bello avidissimus, quae utilia visa, constituunt. Ita composito dolo digrediuntur.

[624] 'What he promised them, they would not consider as a favour (as a thing for which they owed him gratitude); that he must do something beyond, something that might appear to be their interest more than his.' [625] 'Would then come to him,' implying an advantage gained without exertion. [626] _Negitare_, a rare word, but very expressive; for the simple _negare_, in a case like this, is stronger than a repeated assertion that you cannot, or will not, do a certain thing. The _affinitas_ (connexion by marriage) refers to what is mentioned chap. 80, a daughter of Bocchus being married to Jugurtha. Respecting their cognatio_ (relation by blood) nothing is known, but there must have been a family connexion between the neighbouring kings. _Intervenisse_--that is, _factum esse_--referring especially to _foedus_.

112. At rex postero die Asparem Jugurthae legatum appellat dicitque sibi per Dabarem ex Sulla cognitum, posse condicionibus bellum poni;[627] quamobrem regis sui sententiam exquireret. Ille laetus in castra Jugurthae venit; dein ab illo cuncta edoctus, properato itinere post diem octavum redit ad Bocchum et ei denuntiat, 'Jugurtham cupere omnia, quae imperarentur, facere, sed Mario parum confidere; saepe antea cum imperatoribus Romanis pacem conventam[628] frustra fuisse. Ceterum Bocchus si ambobus consultum et ratam pacem vellet, daret operam, ut una ab omnibus quasi de pace in colloquium veniretur, ibique sibi Sullam traderet; quum talem virum in potestatem habuisset,[629] tum fore, uti jussu senatus populique Romani foedus fieret, neque hominem nobilem non sua ignavia sed ob rem publicam[630] in hostium potestate relictum iri.'

[627] 'That the war could be brought to a close by mutual concessions.' [628] _Pax conventa_, 'the peace which is agreed upon.' Observe the rare use of the passive participle; for _convenire_ is commonly intransitive--as _pax convenit_, a 'peace is concluded.' [629] _In potestatem habere_ is ungrammatical for _in potestate habere_, but is found now and then. See Zumpt, S 316. [630] The expression is somewhat contorted; for the inserted clause _non sua ignavia sed ob rem publicam_ should have a verb of its own, which, however, would be a part of the leading verb--namely, _qui in hostium potestate esset_.

113. Haec Maurus secum ipse diu volvens tandem promisit, ceterum dolo an vere cunctatus, parum comperimus. Sed plerumque regiae voluntates, ut vehementes, sic mobiles, saepe ipsae sibi adversae.[631] Postea tempore et loco constituto, in colloquium uti de pace veniretur, Bocchus Sullam modo, modo Jugurthae legatum appellare, benigne habere, idem ambobus polliceri. Illi pariter laeti ac spei bonae pleni esse. Sed nocte ea, quae proxima fuit ante diem colloquio decretum, Maurus adhibitis amicis ac statim, immutata voluntate, remotis ceteris,[632] dicitur secum ipse multa agitavisse, vultu [633] corporis pariter atque animo varius, quae scilicet tacente ipso occulta pectoris patefecisse. Tamen postremo Sullam accersi jubet et ex ejus sententia Numidae insidias tendit. Deinde, ubi dies advenit et ei nuntiatum est Jugurtham haud procul abesse, cum paucis amicis et quaestore nostro quasi obvius honoris causa procedit in tumulum facillimum visu insidiantibus. Eodem Numida cum plerisque necessariis suis inermis, uti dictum erat,[634] accedit ac statim, signo dato, undique simul ex insidiis invaditur. Ceteri obtruncati; Jugurtha Sullae vinctus traditur, et ab eo ad Marium deductus est.[635]

[631] 'In contradiction with themselves,' 'contradictory.' [632] 'The king first summoned his councillors, then dismissed them immediately, and for a long time meditated by himself.' _Ceteris_ refers to the preceding _amicis_, but is used instead of _iis_, to form antithesis to himself: 'after the removal of all the rest, he deliberated by himself.' [633] _Vultus_, chiefly 'the look of the eyes,' but also 'the features of the countenance,' by which the inward emotions are manifested; hence Sallust here, by the addition of _corporis_, opposes the outward expression to the emotions of the mind: 'He changed (varied) in the expression of his bodily features as much as in his sentiments.' _Quae scilicet patefecisse_, 'which, as could be seen, revealed his mental emotions.' _Quae_ is the neuter plural, and _scilicet_ contains the leading verb. [634] That is, _ut praeceptum erat_, and not _dictum_ in the sense of _edictum_; for according to the deceitful agreement, the _condiciones pacis_ were to be determined peaceably. [635] Sallust passes very rapidly over the catastrophe of a king who had worn out, by simulation and war, the Roman armies for six years. He was taken prisoner in B.C. 106, when Marius was no longer consul, but yet remained in Africa as proconsul. Sulla considered the capture of Jugurtha to be an event so important, and to himself so glorious, that he had it engraved on his sealing ring.

114. Per idem tempus[636] adversura Gallos ab ducibus nostris Q. Caepione et Gn. Manlio male pugnatum; quo metu Italia omnis contremuerat. Illique[637] et inde usque ad nostram memoriam Romani sic habuere, alia omnia virtuti suae prona esse: cum Gallis pro salute, non pro gloria, certare.[638] Sed postquam bellum in Numidia confectum et Jugurtham Romam vinctum adduci nuntiatum est, Marius consul absens factus et ei decreta provincia Gallia; isque Kalendis Januariis[639] magna gloria consul triumphavit. Ea tempestate spes atque opes civitatis in illo sitae.

[636] 'During the same time;' that is, the time during which Marius, as proconsul, was still in Africa, occupied no doubt with the regulation of the affairs which, owing to the long war, had fallen into disorder. Bocchus received a part of western Numidia, as far as the river Ampsaga; and Numidia was divided between Hiempsal and Hiarbas, two princes of the family of Masinissa. These and other matters detained Marius in Africa during the year B.C. 105, in which the Romans under the consul Gn. Manlius and the proconsul Q. Caepio, suffered a great defeat from the Cimbri, on the river Rhodanus. This led to the second consulship of Marius, in B.C. 104. The people whom Sallust here calls Gauls (_Galli_) are the Cimbri and Teutones, German tribes coming from the countries about the Elbe. This mistake must be accounted for by the general difficulty of distinguishing Celtic (Gallic) from Germanic tribes, and also by the circumstance that the Cimbri had for many years been wandering about in Gaul. [637] _Illique_; that is, the Romans then living, as opposed to those in the time of Sallust. _Sic habuere_, 'entertained this opinion.' [638] _Certare_; supply _se_; unless we read _certari_, to which it is easier to supply a _se_. [639] On the 1st of January B.C. 104. We may here observe, that Jugurtha, after he had adorned the triumphal procession at Rome, was put to death in the public prison near the Forum--which is described by Sallust, _Cat._ 55--at the same hour in which Marius offered up his thanksgiving to Jupiter Optimus Maximus in the Capitol.